Improvement in straw-cutters



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Letters Patent No. 96,970,1Zated Norember 16, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN STRAW-CUTTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the 53m6- To all whom it may conce-rn:

Be it known that I, J. V. ROWLETT, of Richmond,

in the county of \Vayne, and State of Indianarhave invented an Improved Straw-Cutter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a/ full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

Thenatnre of my invention relates to the combination, with the knife of a straw-cutter, constructed as herein described, and pivoted at the upper end to a swinging arm, of a lever that is grasped by the hand, and hy means of which the knife is operated.

Also, my invention consists in the peculiar' arrangement of the feeding-devices, as will be hereinafter described.

In tlieaccompanying drawings- Figurel is an end elevation of my improved strawcutter, and

Figure 2 is a side view of the saine.

Similar letters in the different figures refer to corresponding parts.

One end of the knife A is secured bya bolt to the arm P, that is pivoted at I, above the knife, and the other end of said knife is likewise secured by bolts to the lever It.

The lever R isl pivoted to the framework of the box, below the knife, and also extends beyond the -point at which the knife is pivoted, forming a handle,

to be grasped by the hand of the operator.

By means of this arrangement, an easy drawingcut is produced, the knife assuming successively the positions indicated by dotted lines on the drawing, riff. 1.

larIhe arm P has a broad bearing at I, to prevent its springing and allowing the knife to he forced away from the cutter-bar X.

The said varm I is further extended beyond the pivot I, and the slotted plate E, attached thereto, by means of a pin and set-screw so adjusted that the said plate may be extended more or less beyond the end of the arm, as required.

- The function of the plate E is to operate the feed in g-rnechanism, which it does, when the knife is raised, by depressing the lever D, to which are attached two pawls, d d', operating upon ratohets, v "0', on the feedrollers.

The height to which the knife is raised being constant, by properly adjusting the plate E, any required length of feed may be readily obtained.

The lever D and pawls :l d are returned, after a feed is made, by the spiral spring y.

The cutter-box B and supporting frame-work, t0- gether with the feed-rollers and cutter-bar, may be made in any suitable manner, the cutter-bar having a bearing provided at its upper part, towhich the arm P is pivoted, as shown at I, iig. 1.

- I do not claim, broadly, a knife pivoted to a swinging arm above and a similar arm below but That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters `Patent; is i 1. The lever It, constructed with an extension or handle for the operator, as shown and described, and used in combination with a straight knife,- A, and swinging arm I?, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. 'lhe slotted plate E, when used in combination with the arm P, for the purpose of operating the feeding-mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the arm I? and plate E, the lever D, pawls del', and spring Y, when constructed and operated as herein set forth.

4. 'ihcswinging arm P, having an extension beyond the pivot I, as described, when said extension is used to operate the feeding-mechanism, substantially as set forth. l

J. V. ROWLE'IT.

Witnesses:

SAML. F. ESTELL, Aa'raMAs ROBERTS. 

